Shattered Recollection
by Alexiel Reborn
Summary: [sequel to Silent Hearts] Kenshin and Kaoru are happily married. The incident with Yukimura is a thing of the past. But what if there was still someone around left to remember? Yukimura's sister is still here. What's the mystery behind her hatred? Will sh
1. A Perfect Morning

~Hello everyone. I'm back again with a sequel. I was thinking about this story and I realized that I left some loose ends, like what the heck is with Yukimura's sister and Kenshin and Kaoru are getting married right, so I decided to do this.~  
  
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Chapter One: A Perfect Morning  
  
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Kenshin lay half-asleep on his--no their futon, his arm wrapped around Kaoru's slim waist. He buried his face into her long silky black locks and sighed. She was fast asleep in his arms, the early afternoon's light sparkling against her silky pale skin which he caressed softly with his fingertips. He didn't want to get up, but there were lots of things for him to do. The laundry had to be cleaned and hung, the breakfast had to be made and eaten, dishes to clean, repairs to make. The list of things just kept getting longer and longer, but Kenshin just wanted to stay here in bed with his wife in his arms.  
  
The sounds of Yahiko running around outside eventually forced Kenshin to open his eyes again. Carefully, as to not wake his sleeping princess, he released her from his embrace and slowly stood up. He gazed at her longingly for one more minute before he reluctantly pulled on his old magenta gi and his white hakama.  
  
Just when he was securing the ties on his hakama, Kaoru stirred from her sleep, missing the warmth of his embrace. She sat up and blinked, her beautiful sapphire eyes staring up at him, the blankets just covering her slender body.  
  
"Good morning, koishii..." he whispered softly, as he walked over to her and brushed the hair out of her face.  
  
"What you doing up so early Kenshin?" she mumbled sleepily.  
  
Kenshin chuckled, his eyes bright. "It's not early, we were just up late last night..."  
  
Kaoru blushed lightly, but smiled and plopped back down onto the blankets to curl back up again. Kenshin looked back at her one last time, his violet eyes full of love and happiness, before turning and walking out the door.  
  
Yahiko and Sano were there to greet him in the kitchen, wondering why breakfast hadn't been made yet.  
  
"Kenshin, why don't you have the food ready yet! It's nearly noon." Sano complained as he leaned against the wall, chewing on a fishbone. His hands were in his pockets, fingering a small expensive object that he had been thinking of giving a certain fox lady. Their relationship had picked up a lot faster ever since Kenshin and Kaoru got married. Megumi finally seemed to let go of Kenshin and had, somewhat reluctantly, turned to Sano.  
  
"Yeah Kenshin. Have you been sleeping all this time! I'm starving!" Yahiko complained loudly, following after Kenshin as he slowly walked into the kitchen.  
  
"I'm sorry, that I am." Kenshin said absentmindedly, his thoughts elsewhere.  
  
Yahiko turned to Sano after realizing that he wasn't going to get an explanation out of Kenshin. "You don't have any right to complain, anyway, Sano. You don't even live here, you're just a lazy bum"  
  
Sano chuckled. "Whatever you say little Yahiko."  
  
Yahiko fumed and lunged at him. "DON'T CALL ME LITTLE!" he screeched.  
  
Sano dodged the attack easily and Yahiko went running straight into the wall with a loud 'bang'. Sano burst out in laughter as Yahiko walked dizzily back towards him. "I'm...going...to get...you!" he yelled before plopping over onto the ground in a heap.  
  
Meanwhile Kenshin was in his own little world as he prepared the morning's...more like the afternoon's meal.  
  
"Hey Kenshin, why you so happy? Did you finally get laid?" Sano said nonchalantly, walking over to the love struck rurouni.  
  
"Sano!" he nearly shouted as a hot blush burned on his cheeks giving him away.  
  
"Aha! So I was right. Sheesh, it's taken you forever. I mean you two have been married, for what two weeks? I mean, I figured you'd be all over each other the first night." Sano exclaimed, patting Kenshin on the back.  
  
Kenshin choked, and went busily back to making the rice. "Sessha....would never do something like that.." he whispered guiltily, mostly to himself, but Sano chuckled in response.  
  
"Hey Kenshin lighten up. She is your wife now and she loves you right? What's your problem? You're still not worried about hurting her are you?" he said, looking down at the short red-head.  
  
Kenshin was silent for a moment before he shook his head. "No. I'm just...." he began softly, but Kaoru's sudden arrival into the room distracted him.  
  
"Good morning everyone..." she said sleepily, her training clothes sloppily put on and her ponytail carelessly done.  
  
Kenshin's face softened at the sight of her, and his heart pounded a little faster. Sano watched the two lovers with satisfaction, glad that they had finally gotten together.  
  
"Um...Kenshin....I don't want to interrupt anything, but the food is kinda on fire..." he pointed out to the dazed rurouni.  
  
Kenshin squeaked and frantically beat at the flames until they were out. Kaoru, who had now waken up fully, glared over at him and inspected the damage. The whole stove (a/n: what the heck do they cook with?) was coated in black ash.  
  
"KENSHIN HIMURA!" she screamed, turning to her husband. Kenshin cowered in front of her.  
  
"I'm sorry Kaoru, that I am. I can fix it!" he said, his voice quivering with fear of her rage.  
  
Sano and Yahiko watched with big eyes as Kaoru chased a frightened Kenshin throughout the house with her bokken.  
  
"I guess nothings changed...even if they are married..." Sano commented, an amused smile on his face as he picked at the remains of the burnt meal.  
  
Just outside the dojo, a woman was watching them from high up in a tree, a black shawl pulled around her frail shoulders. A small grin was on her pale red lips as she whispered quietly to herself, "Kaoru.....you will be unhappy....soon I will have my revenge for what your father has done...just a little longer..."  
  
~Well, what do you think?~ 


	2. The Past Remembers

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Chapter Two: The Past Remembers  
  
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Meiko Hanijimi sat underneath the old tree just outside the dojo. The sun shone down hotly on her shoulders as she scribbled something down on a small piece of paper.  
  
"That worthless Yukimura, couldn't even do a simple job." She muttered as she scribbled.  
  
A young boy sat beside her, his short black hair covering his pale handsome face. He would seem to be around ten years in age, but his eyes could have been over a hundred with his haunted, tired look.  
  
"Are you saying that my uncle's death was wasted?" he demanded indignantly, his hands tightening into fists.  
  
"Hush Jiro, it wasn't all that pointless, but it wasn't enough. They still got together. I don't want that bastard's daughter ever to be happy again." Meiko stated as she finished writing and handed the piece of paper to Jiro. "Now go to the market and deliver this to my contact. He'll be waiting by the last rice stand at the end of the street, near that beef pot restaurant called the...Aka...something." she waved him away and continued her watch on the Kamiya dojo.  
  
"As you wish...mother..." Jiro said obediently.  
  
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After the incident with the fire, Kaoru eventually wore herself out chasing Kenshin around the house, everything settled down. Kenshin managed to dig something up from the kitchen for them to eat.  
  
"So what are you planning on today, Kenshin?" Sano asked through a mouthful of food.  
  
Kenshin looked thoughtful for a moment, his chopsticks pausing in his mouth. "I was thinking of going to the market to get more food, that I am." He said as he set down his bowl.  
  
Kaoru yawned and stood up. "I've got to go now, Kenshin. I'm running late, I was supposed to be at the Kirei dojo to help with training."  
  
Kenshin stood up too and walked her to the door. "See you later, koishii." He whispered softly into her ear, planting a gentle kiss on her forehead. Kaoru flashed him a smile before she ran out the door.  
  
Kenshin walked through the market, a bucket of tofu in one hand as he made his way to the rice stand. The marketplace was full of the hustle and bustle of people, many of them stopping to greet...and congratulate Kenshin on his new marriage. The people finally were satisfied with him, even though he still carried a sword and had a knack for getting into trouble. Their thought was that at least he was no longer living in the same house as a single woman. Not that anyone who knew him would doubt his honor, but no one could deny his and Kaoru's growing relationship. When they had first got married there had been rumors that he had only married her because he had gotten her pregnant, but that rumor had been tossed aside when afterwards Kaoru showed no signs at all of being pregnant. Therefore the citizens of Tokyo had come to unanimous conclusion that it was just true love developing after a long friendship.  
  
Kenshin was just purchasing his rice when he noticed a small boy standing hesitantly by the stand. He seemed to be nervous and uptight, as if he was waiting for someone or something.  
  
"Good morning." Kenshin greeted politely. The boy seemed to jump when he saw Kenshin and he seemed frightened.  
  
"Is there something wrong?" Kenshin asked, concerned for the boy.  
  
The boy frantically shook hi head and took a step back. "Nothing sir!" he said quickly, his eyes downcast.  
  
Kenshin smiled and said one last thing before turning away. "If you ever need anything I'm at the Kamiya dojo. I'll be waiting...." He said, his eyes twinkling.  
  
By the time Kaoru returned from the neighboring dojo, Kenshin was already halfway through the laundry. Most of it had been scrubbed and hung out to dry in the breeze. A few more rebellious garments were still soaking in the soapy water while Kenshin scrubbed furiously at them.  
  
Kaoru carefully snuck her way across the yard, trying her best to cover up her footsteps. Kenshin could sense her presence, but he played along pretending not to notice her. She giggled quietly and moved to pounce on top of him. With a grin he dodged aside and she went splashing into the soapy water.  
  
"Kenshin!" she sputtered, trying to climb out of the tub. "You knew I was there the whole time, didn't you?!"  
  
Kenshin smiled innocently. "I don't know what you are talking about, that I don't. Do you need some help?" he said, trying his hardest not to laugh.  
  
Kaoru pouted, her lips twisting into a grin as she grabbed onto Kenshin's legs and pulled him on top of her.  
  
Kenshin fell face first into the water, while Kaoru giggled hysterically. His legs and arms were tangled in Kaoru's, his face only inches from hers. They paused for a second, just looking into each other's eyes before Kenshin cupped her face with one hand and brought her closer to capture her lips in a soft kiss.  
  
Kaoru moaned softly into his mouth, both of them standing up so that they could reach each other better. Kenshin drew her closer, wrapping his dripping wet arms around her small waist. Slowly he broke the kiss and nuzzled his face into her neck, planting small kisses on her pale skin. Kaoru sighed and leaned into his caress.  
  
"Kenshin! Kaoru!" They heard a high-pitched, very excited, feminine voice call from the other room.  
  
Kenshin and Kaoru looked up just in time to see Misao fly into the yard, her pig tails swinging followed by a very solemn Aoshi.  
  
"Battousai....What are you doing?" Aoshi asked, feeling unusually talkative.  
  
The scene was rather odd from a glance. They were both standing in the washing bin in each other's arms, covered in water and soap suds.  
  
"Aoshi...Miss Misao...What are you guys doing here?" Kenshin asked quickly, trying to change the subject as he climbed out of the bucket.  
  
"Didn't you get our letter? Aoshi and I said we were coming to visit you because we couldn't come to your wedding. I wanted to come earlier, but Aoshi said that we should probably give you two some time to yourselves."  
  
"Misao, maybe we should give them a chance to change out of those clothes..." Aoshi stated, slightly amused.  
  
There was a lot of banging and scrapping and Yahiko and Sano tumbled into the yard.  
  
"Hey, Kenshin, busu, why are you guys wet?" Yahiko exclaimed, for a moment forgetting their guests.  
  
"You little brat, don't call me—"Kaoru began to scream, but Kenshin quickly put his hand over her mouth.  
  
"Excuse us for a second." Kenshin interrupted, pulling Kaoru back into the house. 


	3. Evening Thoughts

**Hey here's the next chapter for you. I finally got a chance to work on this because I have some extra time in my English class. Due to certain events...**_like the damn stupid camera we were using to film our project NOT working!!...._**I had some chance to fool around and do stuff!!!**

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**Chapter Three: Evening Thoughts**

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Kenshin and Kaoru changed quickly. Kaoru was still not used to changing in the same room as him, but she didn't mind. In fact she liked it when she glanced over and saw his bare muscular chest before he clipped on a fresh gi.  
  
"Did you get the letter?" Kaoru asked once she had pulled on a kimono.  
  
Kenshin paused for a moment in thought. "Well...there might have been something a long time ago..."he said thoughtfully as he began to search through his things. He pulled out and envelope and opened it. "Here it is!" he exclaimed only to be hit on the head by Kaoru.  
  
"Why didn't you show it to me before, baka!" she exclaimed, ripping it out of his hands. It was dated before their wedding:  
  
_Dear Ken-san and Kaoru,  
  
Aoshi-sama and I can't come to your wedding. There's some things that we need to straighten out here, but I'm so excited that Kenshin finally got the guts to pop the question. I heard about the incident with a fire at the dojo and I hope no one was hurt. Anyway, Aoshi and I are both happy for you (though Aoshi-sama merely blinked when i told him..haha). I hope you don't mind, but we've made plans to come visit in two weeks. I hope everything goes well._

_Yours Sincerely, _

_ Misao _

Kaoru sighed and dropped the letter back onto their desk. "C'mon. Let's go back to the others."

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Meiko sat in her small house, fingering the piece of paper in her hands. This house wasn't actually her's, it had been Yukimura's, but she had claimed it after his death, since she was, after all, his sister. 

"Well we can't kill him, I know that. Countless people have tried before and it failed." Meiko said absentmindedly to Jiro.

Jiro's eyes widened. "You weren't actually thinking of killing that man, are you?" he exclaimed.

Meiko shook her head in annoyance. "Didn't you hear what I said before?! We can't kill him, it isn't possible!"

"Doesn't mean that you didn't think about it..." Jiro muttered under his breath.

"This doesn't help me at all!" Meiko shouted and threw the piece of paper down on the floor. "I'm going out." she muttered as she stomped from the room.

Jiro stared after her for a second before he went down and picked up the paper.

_Hanijimi,_

_I cannot comply with your request. To attempt assasination on this man would be pure lunacy. Countless otheres who were known for their strength and quick wits have fallen to the Battousai. I am still willing to reason with you and come to some other agreement once you have decided on a reasonable course of action.

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They were all seated outside on the porch, Kenshin with his arm around Karou's waist, Yahiko dangling his feet in the dust and Misao steadily scooting closer to a very silent Aoshi. Sano had run off somewhere saying that he had some sort of business to take care off. They all knew that he was just off with his friends rolling dice and getting drunk.

The sky was growing darker, the light blue shades morphing into indigo as the cicadas called softly from the trees. There was a silent peace that seemed to settle over their wearied shoulders. Kenshin's mind was wandering, back to those days when he had never held a sword or brought it up to kill. The memories of his parents were so dim and faded and it pained him to think that he could no longer remember their faces. In fact he could not remember much of anything about them.

Would his past always haunt him like this? Would he always be reminded, every day of all the horrible things that he had done? When would he be able to find peace? He was married to Kaoru and that in itself brought him so much joy, but hiding behind that joy was an underlying echo of pain and regret that would never go away. Kenshin wasn't sure if he could live like that...or if it would be fair for Kaoru to have to live with that. He sighed deeply deciding that he shouldn't worry about that now. His arm around Kaoru tightned and he buried his face into her hair. As long as he had her, he knew that somehow he would get through it.

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End file.
